Chapter 45 – Dreams Beneath a New Roof
The wooden beams of their half-built home glowed faintly under the silver light of the fairy dimension's moon. Though the walls weren't complete, the roof was enough to keep out the cool night air. Inside, they spread woven mats made by the fairies, soft as clouds and smelling faintly of wildflowers.
For the first time in weeks, there was no battlefield, no tension of a looming mission, no whispers of betrayal. Just three shinobi—father, son, and friend—resting under one roof.
Sakumo leaned back against the wall, his sword resting beside him. His eyes were half-closed, but there was a peace on his face Kakashi hadn't seen in a long time. He looked… lighter.
Kakashi curled up under his blanket, yawning. "It feels strange," he murmured. "Like I'm not in the real world."
Akira smiled, lying on his back and staring at the wooden ceiling. "Sometimes the realest moments aren't in the real world. They're in the ones we build ourselves."
The fairies flickered above them like floating lanterns, slowly dimming as if to lull them into sleep.
---
Sakumo's Dream
That night, Sakumo dreamed of a path of light. He walked it alone at first, his body heavy, his heart full of shame. But then he heard footsteps—Kakashi's small, quick ones, and Akira's steady pace behind.
When he turned, both boys were smiling at him, carrying torches that lit the path ahead.
He woke in the night with tears in his eyes, quietly turning his face so neither boy would see. "Maybe I haven't lost everything yet…" he whispered.
---
Kakashi's Dream
Kakashi dreamed of playing in the grasslands of the dimension. He was smaller, younger, carefree. His father sat beneath a tree, smiling and clapping as Kakashi ran around. Akira was there too, teaching him how to balance a kunai on one finger while the fairies circled them in delight.
For once, it wasn't training. It wasn't duty. It was family.
When he woke, he hugged his blanket tighter and mumbled, "Don't disappear again…" though he wasn't sure if he meant his father or Akira.
---
Akira's Dream
Akira dreamed of the Ōtsutsuki. He saw his father's silhouette—tall, distant, golden eyes shining like suns—but every time he tried to reach him, shadows of clan members closed in. Their whispers echoed:
"Royalty."
"Danger."
"Betrayal."
Behind him, he felt Sakumo and Kakashi's warmth. Ahead of him, his father's unreachable figure. He stood frozen between them, torn.
He woke before dawn, staring at the dim ceiling with clenched fists. "One step at a time. Just one step at a time…"
---
The Morning Farewell
The fairy dimension stirred awake with a soft golden sunrise, the sky painted in hues of pink and orange. The house stood proudly even in its unfinished state, glowing as if alive.
Sakumo stood outside, stretching as he gazed at the horizon. He didn't speak, but his expression said everything—he didn't want this peace to end.
Inside, Kakashi strapped on his ninja gear while Akira prepared to leave.
"You're coming with me, right?" Kakashi asked, his voice calm but his eyes uncertain.
Akira nodded. "Yeah. Time to step back into the real world for a bit. We can't hide here forever."
The fairies fluttered around them as if to say goodbye. One tiny one tugged Kakashi's hair playfully before darting back into the grass.
Together, the two boys walked to the glowing gateway at the edge of the plain. Sakumo watched them go, arms crossed, but his eyes softer than ever. "Go on. I'll keep working here. When you return, this house will feel even more like home."
Kakashi smiled faintly and nodded.
The gateway pulsed with light, and in the blink of an eye, Akira and Kakashi stepped through.
---
Back on Earth
The familiar scent of wood and paper hit them instantly. Kakashi blinked, adjusting to the dim light of his modest home in Konoha. The floor creaked under their sandals, and outside, birdsong echoed faintly—the real morning.
Kakashi let out a long breath, as if he'd been holding it for hours. "Home…"
Akira looked around, then at his friend. "Yeah. Different from the dimension. But still home."
For the first time in a long while, Kakashi's house didn't feel empty.
And for the first time in his life, Akira felt he had more than one place where he belonged.
---
✨ End of Chapter 45
---